Shadow in the Sun
by Nate Grey
Summary: Nara Kouji has hidden beneath his bandages for most of his life.  But even a living shadow can only stay hidden from the knowing gaze of Hanabi for so long.  Companion to Hyuuga Secret Arts.


Disclaimer: The only character that belongs to me is Nara Kouji (and even his personal name was borrowed from a Digimon character), everyone else belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Notes: Just a little something to keep you busy until the next update. I never really intended for Kouji to have any major part in "Hyuuga Secret Arts," other than being Hanabi's teammate. But I never intended to start liking him so much, either. Mind you, this story isn't essential to HSA's storyline, I just wanted to give Kouji some background.

Summary: Nara Kouji has hidden beneath his bandages for most of his life. But even a living shadow can only hide from Hyuuga Hanabi's knowing gaze for so long.

**Shadow in the Sun**

**(Companion to "Hyuuga Secret Arts")**

**A Naruto Ficlet by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

He had always liked the rain.

It didn't rain nearly enough back home in Konoha, and that was just one more reason Nara Kouji had spent most of his life inside. But then, considering that the other reason was the bandages that covered his burns at nearly all times, this was understandable.

Now he could barely remember that night at all. Only brief flashes of fire and smoke, and screams that sounded alien to his ears, but that he remembered to be his own. He had been left with scars that would never heal completely, a greater sense of his own mortality, and a powerful appreciation for the water that had saved his life and most of his skin.

The bandages he presently wore were specially made by his uncle to be super absorbent. If necessary, Kouji could stand in the rain for hours without fear of them loosening. The cold water actually would have felt even more soothing directly on his skin, but just the small amount that did slip through was wonderful enough.

Kouji didn't even wear the bandages for the same reasons anymore, not really. Medically speaking, there was no reason why he couldn't stop wearing them. The truth was, he'd gotten used to them, and so had everyone who saw him on a regular basis. Not to mention the bandages were far more appealing to the eyes than what lay underneath them. And Kouji would probably never show that to anyone outside his family, if he had any say in the matter.

He had accepted long ago that he was horrendous without the bandages, and always would be. But with them, he was a different person entirely: respected, praised, and acknowledged. So long as he was covered, Kouji knew what it felt like to be beautiful. And he loved that feeling, more intensely than he loved anything else.

It wouldn't last forever, and on some level, he knew that. Sooner or later, someone else would see him as he truly was: a naked, vulnerable thing too afraid to step into the light. Ironic that he had been placed with two teammates that would always be in the spotlight. And while they seemed perfectly willing to share it, neither of them ever directed too much of it to him, because they understood that he would be uncomfortable. They were true friends, and Kouji was lucky to have them.

Although there were times when he wished that they were friendlier with each other, because when they weren't, one of them would inevitably intrude on him just when he felt like being alone.

Speak of the devil.

"Kouji-kun," said a soft voice behind him.

He turned in a deliberate way that allowed the raindrops to collect in the strategically-placed (but still hidden) gaps in the bandages, and sighed peacefully as his yellow eyes met Hyuuga Hanabi's impossibly milky ones. At least, he'd always thought of them as milky, but then Kouji liked milk, so that was no surprise.

Hanabi said nothing else, nor did she need to. His name was the bulk of all conversation between them, whether she used it as a greeting or a simple acceptance of the idea that he continued to exist within her world.

"Ebisu-sensei asked me to find you. He thinks you should be resting." Hanabi said this as if she found the whole idea of Ebisu being right about anything an impossibility in itself.

"You?" Kouji asked simply.

Hanabi blinked, and he imagined that if he were close enough, he could see ripples spreading throughout her eyes.

"I know you enjoy the rain. It may take me a while longer to find you yet."

He smiled, even though he knew she couldn't see it. Hanabi was not by nature a nice girl. She didn't do things to please anyone, nor had she ever given anyone the impression that she was a joy to be around. And yet Kouji found her to be perfectly nice, so long as one knew how to treat her (another way of saying you only treated her in whatever way she would allow at any given moment). It was difficult, being her friend, but ultimately a rewarding experience. Hanabi could not afford to have fair-weather friends, and she wouldn't bother speaking to anyone who couldn't benefit her in some way. When she made a friend, it was for life.

Including Kouji himself, she had a grand total of two.

And that was fine with him. He had the same number.

He thought Hanabi might go back inside to get out of the rain, but she stayed right where she was, as if he'd asked her to. He hadn't, he was fairly certain. Not with words, at least. But this was not the first time Hanabi had simply come up to him and stood or sat there, and then done nothing else. He always wondered why, but thought it best not to ask, in case he accidentally offended her. It was probably something simple: perhaps she just grew weary of Konohamaru's constant jokes and advances, and wanted to be with someone who would say next to nothing, for a change.

"I've found you now," Hanabi said after a few moments had passed. Without another word, she turned and headed back to the tiny safe house they were staying in for the night, trusting that he would be right behind her.

Kouji couldn't help but follow her. Hanabi always knew what was best for the team, and for each member of it. Aside from that, she was the only person who had ever treated him like he was normal from their first meeting, and that had won both his respect and loyalty for as long as she desired them. She was his first friend, and though that didn't mean much to most people, to Kouji, it meant a great deal.

* * *

Shikamaru hated waiting outside of the Hyuuga compound like he was some sort of commoner begging at the feet of royalty, but there was nothing for it. Even if one of the Hyuuga had invited him in, he would've forced himself to refuse.

Oddly enough, he felt the tiniest bit guilty about what had happened to Hinata, and some small part of him insisted that he should hate these people for how cruel they were to their own blood. He hadn't even particularly liked Hinata, had barely known her at all. But she was supposed to be vastly different from her former family, which he definitely didn't care for, and in that sense, he probably would've liked Hinata just fine. Too late now, though.

At any rate, Shikamaru's feelings didn't really factor into why he had to wait there. Ebisu's team (and anyone who still used that phrase used it very loosely, and often with a barely suppressed snicker) would be returning from another B-rank mission today. The team always ended up coming back to the Hyuuga compound, because Konohamaru insisted on seeing Hanabi home safely, and Kouji... well, he was Kouji. He'd probably follow Hanabi into Hell, if there was room enough.

Shikamaru wasn't quite sure what they saw in the girl. Sure, she was strong, and she was smart, and she could probably stare down Gaara without flinching. But Hanabi just wasn't... girly. At all. She didn't blush, didn't laugh, didn't smile, didn't even wink. Every girl he'd ever met had done at least one of those, but not Hanabi. It was like she was twelve going on forty or something. He couldn't blame Hinata for running away: Shikamaru could barely stand to be in Hanabi's presence for five minutes. Kids just weren't supposed to behave the way she did; it was unnatural.

Still, he couldn't deny that she was an effective team leader, not when he finally spotted the small group heading towards him. Hanabi was in the lead as usual, with Konohamaru and Kouji side by side behind her, and Ebisu bringing up the rear. It was a walking chain of command if Shikamaru had ever seen one. They all looked tired, but not a one looked unhappy. Except maybe Ebisu, but he'd had that sour look on his face every time Shikamaru had seen him, even before being assigned to the team, so maybe that was just his normal face.

Already Shikamaru could see that Kouji's bandages were in need of changing. They were more faded than torn or bloody or even dirty, at least, and he wondered if Hanabi was to thank for that, as well. Still, he would rather get Kouji home right away, and hoped he wouldn't have to argue with Hanabi to do so.

The gods were apparently smiling on him that day. Hanabi had barely reached the compound's main gate when she turned to her team, and told them in no uncertain terms to go home (in Konohamaru's case, she specified that she meant his own, not hers; apparently there had been a past misunderstanding that she didn't care to ever repeat). She did, however, touch each boy briefly on the shoulder before vanishing inside the gate without so much as a glance in Shikamaru's direction. It was probably better that way, all things considered.

Kouji exchanged a word or two with Konohamaru before finally making his way over to Shikamaru.

"So how'd it go?"

Kouji had never been big on words, and so he made do with a simple thumbs up.

"Any problems?"

Kouji indicated the nearly empty vials on his belt, and then shook his head.

"Huh. Well, come on, then. Let's get you cleaned up."

"Yes."

It was the only word Shikamaru heard his younger cousin say the entire walk home, but it was enough.

* * *

The removal, preparation, and application of Kouji's bandages was both a complicated process, and a carefully guarded Nara Clan secret. Shikamaru was only familiar with it because he had volunteered when he saw how stressful it was for everyone involved, and for Kouji especially. That, and he didn't have any siblings, so the easiest way to spend time with Kouji was to help whenever his bandages needed to be changed.

The bandages were all basically the same to begin with, though after being treated with the proper chemicals, they could actually reduce damage from a variety of certain types of attacks. Shikamaru hadn't believed this, until he'd seen a large tree branch fall twenty feet directly onto Kouji's head (one of Konohamaru's pranks gone wrong). Hanabi had been furious, Konohamaru had apologized until his voice gave out, and Shikamaru had seriously considered how much trouble he'd get in for murdering the grandson of a late Hokage. All of them felt pretty foolish when, minutes later, Kouji simply stood up, scratched his head, and asked if that had been part of the training. Hanabi simply nodded, and the subject was dropped, though she barely spoke to Konohamaru at all for a week afterwards.

Kouji was by no means invincible, though he often gave that impression. Aside from the initial layer of protection the bandages provided, he also had the "medicine" vials he wore on a belt at all times. They were a great deal like the pills Chouji carried, but these liquid forms had been customized specifically for Kouji's use. Shikamaru still didn't understand how, but so long as they worked, he supposed it didn't matter.

The red vial boosted both chakra and stamina. The white vial actually hardened on contact with the bandages, making it nearly impossible to harm Kouji with a physical blow that didn't also damage the attacker. The yellow vial was probably the most dangerous, because instead of splashing it on his bandages, Kouji would drip one drop directly onto his tongue, and only before using a particularly exhausting jutsu. So far, Shikamaru had only seen his cousin use that vial once in training, but the results had been impressive. Where Kouji usually moved his entire body through shadows, that time his arms had vanished into his own shadow. They reemerged in the shadows of his teammates, and then only long enough to yank Hanabi and Konohamaru out of sight. He could bring them back practically anywhere a shadow was present, though in that case they'd reappeared clinging to his arms, where he'd launched them at an all too startled Ebisu.

But for all the strength and confidence that Kouij's bandages and medicines granted him, without them, he was virtually powerless. This had nothing to do with his natural abilities, though. In that state, it was his mind that paralyzed him. Kouji had overcome his fear of fire with ease, but he had in turn come to depend on his bandages so much that he was unable or unwilling to move more than a few inches without them.

Cleaning him when the bandages were off was a nightmare, for more than a few reasons. Kouji's scars ended just above his abdomen, but since he wouldn't even stand without his bandages, it easiest to place him in a tub and fill it with warm water. The burns had never really healed properly. They no longer caused Kouji any physical pain, but the skin was now permanently blistered in a dark shade of brown, and the overall effect was that he forever seemed to be melting. Kouji certainly didn't help by just sitting there, looking as if he were the most miserable creature ever created. But he was completely inconsolable until he was back in bandages, so it was best just to clean the burns, apply salve as was necessary, and rewrap Kouji as quickly as possible.

Shikamaru had tried everything he could think of to make those times pass by faster, but nothing worked. Kouji wouldn't even look at him during the cleaning, so more than likely he wasn't listening, either. It was the most emotionally draining experience Shikamaru had ever been through, and it had to be infinitely worse for Kouji. But as distant as they were during the process, Shikamaru's willingness to help his cousin had brought them closer. Kouji would of course never look forward to those moments of helplessness, but he probably didn't feel quite as alone when Shikamaru was with him.

Neither of them could've known that being alone would soon be the least of Kouji's problems.

* * *

There had, to date, never been a good enough reason to interrupt one of Kouji's cleanings. Shikamaru suspected even the Hokage would've been made to wait if Kouji had been needed for a mission. If nothing else, the rest of the clan would've stalled until Kouji was once again bandaged and ready for action. But no matter how polished those tactics were, some people simply could not be made to wait.

They found out the hard way that Hyuuga Hanabi was one of them.

Considering she had never visited the Nara Clan before, it really was a horrible first impression. Shikamaru was practically shoved out of bathroom by his mother, only to find a scene of mass panic.

Virtually every relative Shikamaru could recall having was crowded around Hanabi, although she seemed rather calm despite this. He had no idea why this might be so, until he spotted one of the men being helped out of the room with what was quite obviously a broken leg. He was still trying to wrap his mind around what would possess Hanabi to attack his clan when she spotted him and headed straight for him. And despite the collective power gathered around her, not one person stayed in her path.

"I will see Kouji-kun now," Hanabi stated quietly, and there was nothing in her voice that implied this might be a request.

"That's... not possible right now," Shikamaru answered hesitantly, and instantly saw several people nearby preparing themselves for another outburst.

"I must see Kouji-kun now," Hanabi restated, and from the terrified looks that appeared around the room, Shikamaru wasn't the only one that felt her chakra building up.

There was something odd in the way Hanabi was behaving, Shikamaru realized. He had never seen her be this difficult, not just for the sake of getting her own way. It was almost as if she really needed to see Kouji that very moment.

"Why?" Shikamaru asked softly.

She stared at him, and he could see the fight draining out of her. "He needs me to."

Despite his every instinct screaming that this was a mistake, Shikamaru wanted to believe her. "Don't say you weren't warned," he muttered, gesturing for Hanabi to follow him back to the bathroom. He hoped that Kouji would forgive him for this, and if not, it was better than the whole Hyuuga Clan descending on them for disrespecting their heir.

His mother gave him a questioning look as they passed, but Shikamaru just shook his head. He didn't want to think about what else Hanabi might do if she thought they were stalling.

Kouji was just as Shikamaru had left him: sitting motionless in a tub of warm water, his eyes shut tightly. If he heard two sets of footsteps instead of one, he gave no sign that it bothered him.

Hanabi did not react as most people who saw Kouji revealed for the first time did. She didn't stop short, and Shikamaru could see no major change in her expression. Instead, she walked directly to the tub and knelt down beside it.

"Kouji-kun?" she whispered.

It was as if Kouji had been struck. His body jerked away from the sound of Hanabi's voice, yellow eyes snapping open in fear as he backed against the other side of the tub.

And still Hanabi continued to gaze at him as she slowly stretched out her hand, her fingertips lightly brushing the dark, blistered flesh of his arm.

Kouji looked as if he wished to be anywhere else, but rather than leave the relative comfort of the water, he sank back into the tub, closing his eyes and trying his best to ignore Hanabi.

Shikamaru was wondering if he should ask Hanabi to leave when he heard something that erased all thought from his mind.

"I wish to assist you."

Kouji was staring at her in shock, and Hanabi was staring at Shikamaru expectantly, waiting for instructions.

"But you can't... Kouji doesn't like..." Shikamaru trailed off, trying to find a good excuse.

Hanabi frowned at him. "I did not hear him protest. And I would stay even if he did."

Shikamaru wasn't about to force Hanabi to do anything. Assuming he did, there would be Neji to deal with later, and no one got into a fight with Neji if they could help it. But he couldn't just ignore Kouji's feelings on the matter, either.

"Kouji, if you don't want her here, you need to tell her that."

Clearly, that wasn't what Kouji wanted to hear, but he slowly turned to Hanabi, who was glaring at him defiantly.

"Hanabi-san," he murmured, "please..."

"No," she replied at once.

Sighing, Kouji lowered his head. "I... never wanted you to see me like this. Please, Hanabi-san... leave..."

"You have no idea what you are asking of me," Hanabi snapped. "I would never abandon you to pain or death. Why should I do so for fear and shame?"

"But, like this... I am nothing."

Without warning, Hanabi's hand whipped out and seized Kouji's ear roughly, tugging him towards her. "I never want to hear you say anything so foolish again, Nara Kouji. Do you really believe that your place in my team is dependent upon your bandages and medicines, instead of you? Do you think I would deny your existence if you lacked them? How could you even think that your life no longer mattered to me, simply because you were without mere tools?"

"What good can I do anyone like this?" Kouji asked, earning another sharp tug on his ear.

"Don't you realize how important you are to our success?" Hanabi demanded. "Konohamaru and I draw strength from you. Not just because you are our teammate, but because you are our friend. And you remain our friend, with or without your tools. They may enhance you, but they do not define you."

"She's right, you know," Shikamaru agreed. "Even if your friends are completely useless, if you could just leave them behind so easily, they wouldn't really be your friends."

"I know you would not leave me, were our places exchanged," Hanabi said softly, releasing Kouji's ear. "That is why I will not leave you, Kouji-kun. If this is truly a moment of weakness for you, then you may draw strength from my presence, as you do from your cousin's."

Shikamaru sighed loudly. "Well, if you're going to stay, you might as well lend a hand or two. Moral support is all fine and good, but nothing beats actually doing something. Help me put the salve on, and we can all put this 'moment of weakness' behind us even faster."

Hanabi shot him a dark look to remind him of who he was talking to, and only then did she accept the jar of salve that he passed her. The substance was dark green and smelled a bit like old sandals, but Hanabi did not complain as she scooped up a handful and began carefully applying it to Kouji's right arm. Kouji slid his gaze away from her, but did not protest.

Shikamaru hid his smirk well as he began to work on Kouji's left side. He was starting to understand why Konohamaru and Kouji followed Hanabi so willingly. Despite her unfeeling appearance, she took her relationships more seriously than anyone he had ever known. He wondered briefly if that was a result of Hinata's leaving, but decided not to ask. Hanabi didn't seem like the type of girl that enjoyed discussing her feelings.

In the end, Hanabi stayed until Kouji was back in his bandages, and Shikamaru had to admire the girl's dedication. She couldn't possibly have gotten more than an hour of rest after the mission, and yet she insisted on helping her teammate. After seeing that, he was much less worried about Kouji taking on missions that would've made Ino and Chouji go pale back when they were genin.

Kouji was still slightly uncomfortable with the whole situation, especially when Hanabi volunteered to assist with the next changing as well. But he could no longer think of a good enough excuse that would convince her not to help. She had even mentioned bringing Konohamaru along with her eventually, though not for a while.

Once Hanabi had gone, Kouji went straight to bed. Shikamaru knew he wouldn't actually be sleeping, though. Kouji would be thinking over everything Hanabi had said to him. With any luck, it would sink in quickly and improve his entire outlook, but that was doubtful at best. Kouji had never handled change well, at least not when it came to changing himself. Hanabi would probably have to constantly remind him of his place on the team, and Shikamaru knew she wouldn't hesitate to do so.

* * *

Kouji woke up the next morning to a startling realization.

He was late.

He had never been late. In fact, he had always secretly prided himself on being the first one to arrive at the specified training sites. Hanabi seemed to appreciate it, especially since Konohamaru made a point of either being what he called "fashionably late," or personally escorting Hanabi to the meetings, both of which she had warned him against several times.

Even worse, Kouji didn't have a good reason for being late. Oh, he knew exactly why he was: he'd stayed up all night replaying the day's events in his head. But that was hardly an excuse, and certainly not one he wanted to share with the others. Konohamaru was extremely jealous when it came to Hanabi being near other boys, and while he had accepted that Kouji was no real threat to him, he would probably be very upset to learn that Hanabi had spent much of the past day rubbing salve onto Kouji's upper body. And despite the fact that the whole thing had been innocent, Kouji still felt guilty. Hanabi was an attractive girl, and she had a way of looking at people that made it seem as if she could peer into their souls (something he believed was unrelated to the Byakugan). He also couldn't forget the way Hanabi had carefully, even tenderly worked the salve between his fingers.

Just as Kouji had feared, he was the last one to arrive. Hanabi and Konohamaru were already seated on the grass, and Ebisu was pacing nearby, glancing anxiously at his young charge every few minutes, as if Hanabi would undo all of his teachings in an instant if she wasn't watched closely.

Konohamaru was the first to notice him. "Hey, Kouji!" he shouted loudly, waving his arms. "Come on or we'll start without you, slowpoke!"

Wordlessly, Kouji took his usual spot on Hanabi's other side and trained his gaze on Ebisu. And while his eyes were locked on their sensei, his mind was all over the place. He wondered if Hanabi had said anything about the way he really looked to Konohamaru. He wondered if Hanabi had higher expectations of him now. Most of all, he wondered if she would treat him any differently.

It wasn't until Ebisu had begun pacing again, his voice taking on it's all-knowing, self-important quality, that Kouji felt something brush against his hand.

"You should at least make it look like you're not thinking about anything else, Kouji-kun," Hanabi murmured. "Otherwise, he'll go on like this all day, and you know he can." She paused, turning her head to meet his eyes. "I believe it is considered good form to save a friend from unimaginable suffering where possible."

Kouji blinked slowly and nodded. "Thank you… my friend," he said quietly.

Hanabi returned the nod, and turned her head just as Ebisu spun around to begin moving back towards them.

At once, Kouji dutifully raised his hand, and asked if Ebisu would mind terribly repeating that last point, since he wanted to make sure he remembered it right.

And since Ebisu was still operating under the illusion that as the quietest student, Kouji was the best listener of the three, he didn't mind at all. So long as he could still reach one student, he would have some pride in his job.

Again, Kouji wasn't really listening. He was mentally making a list of all the things he was truly thankful for.

He was thankful for two devoted friends he cherished, and one older cousin he admired.

He was thankful that his medicines and bandages allowed him to pursue his dream of becoming strong, even if the side effect was that they also preserved him in almost the exact state he'd been in just after the fire.

And he was especially thankful that no matter how he looked, Hanabi would never see him as anything other than her friend.

**The End.**

* * *

Endnotes:

In Neji's case at least, he strikes me as greatly insightful even when he's not using the Byakugan. I don't know if this is due to a latent ability of the Byakugan, if it's his genius showing, or if it's just something that some Hyuuga possess. I imagine that Hanabi is like him in that respect, if only because she picked it up from him along the way.

Kouji addresses Hanabi as "Hanabi-san" out of respect for her importance to him, as friend and leader. I suspect only Konohamaru would call her "Hanabi-chan" (exactly like the way Naruto would say "Sakura-chan"). On the other hand, I think Hanabi would simply call Konohamaru by his name. As he's named after the village they live in, the name carries a great weight already, and Konohamaru has stated that he hated that no one called him by his actual name. It's not meant to imply that Hanabi feels closer to Konohamaru than she does Kouji (quite the opposite, at times), but her simply calling Konohamaru by his name could have a double meaning: it's what he prefers to be called (especially by her), and implies a high level of familiarity (pretty much unavoidable, as much time as he insists on spending with her). As you'll see in "Hokage Climbing," Hanabi reacts somewhat differently to Konohamaru than she does with anyone else.

* * *

**Omake!**

Kouji wasn't sure what to think when Hanabi pulled him aside and asked him to have lunch with her. Normally, she went home to have lunch, or at least to keep Konohamaru from following her everywhere.

Plus, she was touching him. Quite a bit, actually. Almost too much, really. It was… surprisingly unpleasant, now that he thought about it. He'd never felt that way about Hanabi's touch before.

And there was also the odd way she kept looking directly into his eyes, blushing prettily, and then quickly looking away.

Something definitely didn't seem right about her, but Kouji wasn't going to mention it unless things got out of hand.

They did, right after they reached Ichiraku Ramen, where Hanabi said her seat wasn't comfortable enough, and asked if she could sit in his lap instead.

Kouji blinked, calmly reached over to stroke her cheek… and then raised his hand, made a fist, and brought it down hard on top of her head.

There was a sound not entirely like "bonkthudpwoof" (the "bonk" as his fist connected, the "thud" as Hanabi slammed into the counter, and the "pwoof" as her body suddenly exploded in white smoke).

"Dammit, Kouji!" Konohamaru howled, clutching the fresh bump on his head. "You could've just said you knew it was me!"

Kouji simply stared at him, completely unrepentant.

"Okay, fine!" Konohamaru glared at his best friend. "I guess I shouldn't have tried to trick you like that. But I had to be sure you weren't getting too close to my Hanabi-chan!"

Sighing, Kouji shook his head. "Form… perfect. Behavior… not."

"Yeah, I know. I wanted to see how you'd act if she ever did any of that to you."

"Wouldn't," Kouji replied. "Not Hanabi."

"Then how do you think she would act? You know, if she really liked someone?" Konohamaru asked eagerly.

Kouji looked at his friend hesitantly, honestly wanting to help, and honestly having no idea how Hanabi would act if she really liked anyone. Still, he could also use his own experience as a reference, he supposed.

"She has a… compassionate side. If you got hurt, maybe she would nurse you back to health?"

"Great!" Konohamaru replied excitedly. "Quick, beat me up!"

Kouji didn't want to do that, but Konohamaru was his best friend, so he didn't really have a choice…

Five minutes later, Konohamaru's face was barely recognizable as more than one huge bruise. And still he was excited about the prospect of Hanabi nursing him back to health.

As fate would have it, Hanabi passed by Ichiraku Ramen a moment later. Recognizing Kouji's back, she stopped to speak to him. But then the person next to him turned around, and…

Hanabi blinked. Slowly. "Konohamaru?"

"Oh! Hanabi-chan!" Konohamaru nearly fell off of his seat and limped over to her. "I got hurt really bad," he moaned pathetically. And then he stood there, almost as if he expected her to do something about it.

Hanabi stared at his face. Then she glanced at Kouji, who looked extremely guilty. Finally, she looked at Konohamaru again. She wasn't sure, but he almost seemed to be smiling hopefully under that massive bruise. Or maybe his lip was busted and just stuck that way, it was hard to tell even from that distance.

"You shouldn't be so clumsy," Hanabi said at last. "Kouji-kun is bandaged all the time, but even he manages not to walk into anything, including people's fists." With that, she walked off.

Konohamaru fell down right there in the street, tears streaming down his face. "Wait, Hanabi-chan!" he wailed. "Aren't you going to nurse me back to health?"

"I cannot cure stupidity, Konohamaru," she said over her shoulder.

"Hanabi-chan…" Konohamaru sadly dropped his head to the ground, blubbering pitifully.

Feeling more than a little guilty, Kouji went out and picked up his friend, carefully dusting him off.

"Why didn't it work, Kouji?" Konohamaru asked miserably. "I should be in my Hanabi-chan's arms right now!"

Kouji shrugged. "We could always go see if Moegi-chan will take care of you instead."

"No… it's not the same. If Hanabi-chan won't nurse me back to health, then I'd rather just let my wounds heal on their own. Only love can heal-"

Konohamaru was interrupted by a sound quite a bit like "bapthud" (the "bap" as Kouji's fist hit him in the head again, and the "thud" of Konohamaru collapsing to the ground, out cold).

Sighing, Kouji slung Konohamaru's limp body over one shoulder and headed for Moegi's house. It was such a pain to take him there, since she blamed Kouji and Hanabi for breaking up the "Konohamaru Corps," but this was largely a defense mechanism (in order to avoid admitting that the breakup had been all Konohamaru's idea). With any luck, she'd be willing to overlook that when she found her former friend at the door in his current state.

Kouji paused, wondering if he should pin a note to Konohamaru's shirt, claiming that Hanabi had done this to him. It would buy Konohamaru some extra sympathy, even if he'd rather have it come from someone else. On the other hand, if word got back to Hanabi, she'd know who was really responsible.

There was only one choice left.

So when Moegi answered the knock on her door twenty minutes later, all she found was a severely bruised and slightly dazed Konohamaru, along with a short note that read, "Ebisu-sensei did this to me!"


End file.
